Adolescents have rights - as expressed in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child - including those to information and skills; access to services, such as education, health, recreation and justice; a safe and supportive environment; and opportunities to participate and to have their voices heard. Countries that have ratified the Convention are required to take all necessary measures to secure these rights.
Yet time and again around the globe, societies are faced with the symptoms of their collective failure to fulfil and protect adolescents' rights. "A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death," said Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, in an address to the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth.
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